Harrison School District Two elections (2017)
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Three of the five seats on the Harrison School District Two Board of Education in Colorado were up for nonpartisan general election on November 7, 2017. In his bid for re-election, incumbent Steven R. Seibert faced challengers Joshua Hitchcock, Jeannie Orozco, and Linda Pugh. Seibert won re-election, and Orozco and Pugh won new terms on the board.[1][2]
Hitchcock, Orozco, and Pugh participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates. Click here to read their responses.
The 2017 election had a lower percentage of unopposed seats compared to the district's previous two elections. For information on elections trends in the district, click here.
Elections
Voter and candidate information
The Harrison School District Two Board of Education consists of five members elected at large to four-year terms. Elections are held on a staggered basis so that two or three seats are up for election every odd-numbered year in November.[3]
To qualify to run for school board, candidates had to be residents of the school district and registered voters for a minimum of 12 consecutive months before the election. They also could not have been convicted of a sexual offense against a child. To get on the ballot, school board candidates had to file nomination petitions containing 50 signatures of eligible voters in the school district by September 1, 2017.[4]
Colorado voters were allowed to register to vote through election day.[5] Photo identification was not required to vote in Colorado.[6]
Candidates and results
At-large
Results
| Harrison School District Two, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
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|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Linda Pugh |
30.52% | 3,579 |
| Jeannie Orozco |
25.42% | 2,981 |
| Steven R. Seibert Incumbent |
22.69% | 2,661 |
| Joshua Hitchcock | 21.36% | 2,505 |
| Total Votes | 11,726 | |
| Source: El Paso County Elections Office, "Official Results: HARRISON SCHOOL DISTRICT 2 DIRECTOR," accessed November 27, 2017 | ||
Candidates
Steven R. Seibert 
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 Joshua Hitchcock
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| Jeannie Orozco
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Linda Pugh
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Additional elections on the ballot
- See also: Colorado elections, 2017
The Harrison School District Two Board of Education election shared the ballot with a question for El Paso County and a question for the city of Colorado Springs.[7][8]
The county question appeared on the ballot as follows:
| “ | WITHOUT IMPOSING NEW TAXES OR RAISING TAX RATES, SHALL EL PASO COUNTY BE PERMITTED TO RETAIN AND SPEND $14,548,000 IN EXCESS 2016 REVENUE AS A VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE PURSUANT TO TABOR (ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION) TO INVEST ONLY IN THE FOLLOWING INFRASTRUCTURE:
WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT SUCH EXCESS REVENUE WOULD OTHERWISE BE REFUNDED ONLY TO TAXABLE REAL PROPERTY OWNERS AS A ONE-TIME TAX CREDIT (EXAMPLE: APPROXIMATELY $40 FOR A TYPICAL SINGLE-FAMILY HOME VALUED AT $250,000), AND TO RETAIN AND SPEND IN THE 2017 FISCAL YEAR AND THEREAFTER AN AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT EXCEEDS CURRENT TABOR LIMITATIONS BUT IS NO GREATER THAN THE COUNTY REVENUE CAP, WHICH CONTINUES TO LIMIT FUTURE REVENUE GROWTH AS PROVIDED IN RESOLUTION NO. 17-244?
__YES |
” |
| —El Paso County (2017)[8] | ||
The city question appeared on the ballot as follows:
| “ | Without imposing any new tax or increasing any existing taxes, shall Ordinance No. 17 - 69 of the City of Colorado Springs be approved authorizing: the collection of stormwater service fees beginning July 1, 2018 and ending July 1, 2038, for the sole purpose of funding through a City enterprise, the construction, improvement, operation and maintenance of public stormwater facilities and a public stormwater system in the City, including regulatory permit compliance and protection of life and property within the City from the hazards of flooding and stormwater, to be assessed on all developed real property within the City, with such fees not to exceed the following maximum amounts:
Residential property: $5.00 per dwelling unit/month Non-residential property: $30.00 per acre/month providing that such fees may be thereafter increased by City Council by Resolution only to the extent required to comply with a valid court order, federal or state permits, federal or state laws, and intergovernmental agreements of the City entered into before June 1, 2016; and providing for citizen advisory committee oversight? _____Yes _____No[9] |
” |
| —Colorado Springs City Council (2017)[7] | ||
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the 2017 Colorado school board elections.[10][11]
Endorsements
The Pikes Peak Association of REALTORS® (PPAR) endorsed incumbent Steven R. Seibert and challenger Jeannie Orozco.[12] Unite Colorado Springs also endorsed Orozco.[13]
Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Campaign finance
Candidates received a total of $520.93 and spent a total of $1,099.96 in the election, according to the Colorado Secretary of State.[14]
| Candidate | Balance prior to election | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steven R. Seibert | $735.00 | $0.00 | $740.97 | ($5.97) |
| Joshua Hitchcock | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Jeannie Orozco | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Linda Pugh | $0.00 | $520.93 | $358.99 | $161.94 |
Reporting requirements
School board candidates in Colorado were required to file three campaign finance reports. The reports were due on October 17, 2017, November 3, 2017, and December 7, 2017.[11]
Past elections
To see results from past elections in Harrison School District Two, click here.
What was at stake?
Report a story for this election
Ballotpedia researches issues in school board elections across the United States, but information availability is a challenge for us in many school districts. Please contact us about the issues that impact your local school district. Note that not all submissions may meet Ballotpedia's coverage requirements for inclusion.
Candidate survey
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Ballotpedia invites school board candidates to participate in its annual survey. |
Survey responses
Three candidates in this race participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates. The following sections display the responses to the survey questions from challengers Joshua Hitchcock, Jeannie Orozco, and Linda Pugh.
Hope to achieve
When asked what he hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Hitchcock stated:
| “ | I am not doing this to be an individual so if that is what you are looking for then I am not the right fit. I believe if we advocate as a community and work to shape education effectively, then our future holds much more for us. I hope to provide a different perspective into issues, recommend solutions that may be unconventional (not the status quo because 'that is how it has always been done'), and put in the time to be an effective team member. I realize that I may not be successful in all ventures, but I'm willing to put myself out there to give it a shot. In either case I accept the stress and responsibility of being there, of doing the hard right, and growing the most educated and productive kids that are our future.[9] | ” |
| —Joshua Hitchcock (October 19, 2017)[15] | ||
When asked what she hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Orozco stated:
| “ | To make a difference for my community as a whole, to play a part in providing an equitable playing field for all.[9] | ” |
| —Jeannie Orozco (September 26, 2017)[16] | ||
When asked what she hoped to achieve if elected to the school board, Pugh stated:
| “ | A resident for 30 years, former parent and now grandparent of children in the district, I want to keep the district moving in a positive direction. Having served on the board from 2005-2013, I have knowledge of how the district functions at all levels and am familiar with the governance policies that keep the board focused on results and values. I will listen to all sides of an issue and ask the hard questions, making decisions based on what is best for our scholars (students). I am a voice you can count on.[9] | ” |
| —Linda Pugh (October 16, 2017)[17] | ||
Ranking the issues
The candidates were asked to rank the following issues by importance in the school district, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. This table displays their rankings:
| Issue importance ranking | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issue | Hitchcock's ranking | Orozco's ranking | Pugh's ranking | |
| Expanding arts education | ||||
| Improving relations with teachers | ||||
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | ||||
| Improving post-secondary readiness | ||||
| Closing the achievement gap | ||||
| Improving education for special needs students | ||||
| Expanding school choice options | ||||
Positions on the issues
The candidates were asked to answer nine multiple choice and short answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. A link to their responses can be found below.
Election trends
- See also: School boards in session: 2015 in brief
The 2017 Harrison School District Two Board of Education election was the first in three election cycles that did not have any unopposed seats. One of the four seats on the ballot was unopposed in the district's 2013 election, and all of the seats on the ballot were unopposed in the district's 2015 election.
With two open seats, the 2017 election was guaranteed to add new members to the board, which was not unusual for the district. Both the 2013 and 2015 elections added new members to the board.
| School board election trends | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Candidates per seat | Unopposed seats | Incumbents running for re-election | Incumbent success rate | Seats won by newcomers | |
| Harrison School District Two | ||||||
| 2017 | 1.33 | 0.00% | 33.33% | 100.00% | 66.67% | |
| 2015 | 1.00 | 100.00% | 50.00% | 100.00% | 50.00% | |
| 2013 | 1.50 | 25.00% | 25.00% | 100.00% | 75.00% | |
| Colorado | ||||||
| 2015 | 1.77 | 30.77% | 55.38% | 83.33% | 53.85% | |
| United States | ||||||
| 2015 | 1.72 | 35.95% | 70.37% | 82.66% | 40.81% | |
About the district
- See also: Harrison School District Two, Colorado
Harrison School District Two is located in El Paso County in central Colorado. The county seat is Colorado Springs. El Paso County was home to an estimated 688,284 residents in 2016, according to the United States Census Bureau.[18] The district was the 20th-largest school district in the state in the 2014-2015 school year and served 11,441 students.[19]
Demographics
El Paso County underperformed compared to Colorado as a whole in terms of higher education achievement between 2011 and 2015. The United States Census Bureau found that 35.9 percent of county residents aged 25 years and older had attained a bachelor's degree, compared to 38.1 percent of state residents. The median household income in El Paso County was $58,206, compared to $60,629 statewide. The poverty rate in the county was 11 percent, while it was 11.5 percent for the entire state.[18]
| Racial Demographics, 2016[18] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | El Paso County (%) | Colorado (%) |
| White | 83.6 | 87.5 |
| Black or African American | 6.9 | 4.5 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Asian | 2.9 | 3.3 |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0.4 | 0.2 |
| Two or More Races | 4.8 | 3.0 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.7 | 21.3 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Harrison School District Two Colorado election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Harrison School District Two | Colorado | School Boards |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Abbey Smith, "Phone communication with Harrison School District Two," September 11, 2017
- ↑ El Paso County Elections Office, "Unofficial Results: HARRISON SCHOOL DISTRICT 2 DIRECTOR," accessed November 7, 2017
- ↑ Harrison School District Two, "Board Members," accessed August 29, 2017
- ↑ Colorado Association of School Boards, "2017 Elections School Board Candidate Guide," accessed August 29, 2017
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Voter Registration FAQs," accessed August 29, 2017
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Acceptable Forms of Identification," accessed August 29, 2017
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Colorado Springs City Elections, "November 7, 2017 - City Ballot Question," accessed September 13, 2017
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 El Paso County Elections, "Official Sample Ballot for El Paso County 2017 Coordinated Election," accessed October 4, 2017
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "2017 Election Calendar," accessed August 28, 2017
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Colorado Secretary of State, "2017 Biennial School Election Calendar," accessed August 28, 2017
- ↑ Pikes Peak Association of REALTORS®, "2017 November Coordinated Election," accessed November 2, 2017
- ↑ Unite Colorado Springs, "2017 Coordinated Election Endorsements," accessed November 2, 2017
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "TRACER: Candidate Search," accessed December 15, 2017
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Joshua Hitchcock responses," October 19, 2017
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Jeannie Orozco responses," September 26, 2017
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, "Linda Pugh responses," October 16, 2017
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 United States Census Bureau, "QuickFacts: El Paso County, Colorado; Colorado," accessed August 30, 2017
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data, file ccd_lea_052_1414_w_0216161a, 2014-2015," accessed November 16, 2016
| Harrison School District Two elections in 2017 | |
| El Paso County, Colorado | |
| Election date: | November 7, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Steven R. Seibert • Joshua Hitchcock • Jeannie Orozco • Linda Pugh |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
